Master of Arts

Overview

Bioethics provides an educational opportunity at the graduate level for current and future professionals and others throughout the country interested in bioethics, including healthcare providers, researchers in biomedicine and the life sciences, lawyers, and professionals in religion, health and research administration, and the biotechnology industry. The goal of the MA in Bioethics is to equip graduates to practice and teach about bioethics as integral to the work of medicine and biotechnology, healthcare, and the basic sciences, and to undertake exemplary bioethics-related research and scholarship. The program encompasses clinical ethics, research ethics, and health policy and administration.

The program has two characteristic emphases: bioethics in social context, and bioethics and biotechnology. First, a general emphasis on the social, cultural, and policy contexts that shape all bioethics questions and issues is visible throughout the curriculum. Although the importance of incorporating the humanities, the social sciences, and even the arts may seem obvious, this is not a component of most bioethics education elsewhere. Second, a focus on bioethics and biotechnology takes advantage of Wake Forest University’s strong and growing presence in this area. Research and clinical practice in nanomedicine, genomics, pharmacogenetics, molecular and cell therapies, and the like is ongoing not only here at Wake Forest University but elsewhere in North Carolina.

The program has particular emphases without declaring particular specializations. This is in part because bioethics education is by its nature fundamentally generalist. Students receive broad exposure to ideas, discussion, scholarly literature, and experience, as well as a set of intellectual skills to be developed and practiced widely before being turned to special areas of interest.

Students are required to follow the student handbook of the school(s) through which they are enrolled. To continue in a dual or five year program, a student must remain in good academic standing with the respective School (Wake Forest College, Divinity, Law or Medicine) and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The degree requires 30 credit hours; 24-26 hours of coursework with an average grade of B or above plus either 4 hours of capstone project (BIE 795) OR 6 hours of thesis research (BIE 791/792). All MA students must take BIE 703 (3 hours) and BIE 706/BIE 707 (3 hours). Additionally, all MA students must take two of the three following courses: BIE 702 (3 hours), BIE 704 (3 hours), and BIE 705 (3 hours). The remaining 12-14 hours may be in either 600 or 700 level Bioethics courses. With program permission, up to 6 of those hours may be from non-Bioethics graduate level courses. All work must be completed within six years of the date of initial enrollment in the graduate program.

For additional degree requirements, see Requirements for Degrees.